Holiday Photos with FIDO and Phoenix

Hi Everyone,

Sunday December 16th FIDO had our annual Holiday photo shoot. Even though the weather outside was frightful, inside the Phoenix Coffee House it sure was delightful. We had a great turnout and FIDO raised $419.00 towards our ground cover project. We are getting closer and closer to our main goal.

I would like to thank our wonderful and dedicated FIDO members who helped make the day a true pleasure to work.

First I would like to thank Sarah Wilson-Jones superbarista and CEO of Phoenix, her husband Carl Jones, Liz the store manager, and all their wonderful employees for allowing us to have our event in their Green and Mayfield rd. location. The coffee was a much needed pick me up on a cold and snowy day and the food was great!

I would also like to thank Marianne and Ashlee for taking the initiative to plan and implement the event in such a smooth and effortless manner. They also were able to bring the professional style photography lights to really make the pictures come alive. Kudos to Ashlee's Husband Billy for getting up early to bring the wicker settee for Santa to sit on.

I would also like to thank Denny for furnishing her laptop computer, photo printer and camera.
The pictures really came out GREAT!!! and we had quite a production line going with Jenn taking the pictures, Denny on the computer and Laura drying the pictures after they came out of the printer and producing the packets to give to the happy parents of the photographed pooches.

I would like to thank our interim/elected treasurer Judy for guarding the cash box and taking the donations.

Many thanks to Freddie and Jen for the wonderful dog treats they made. Our girls just loved them!

A big thank you to Rusty for putting up with us and wearing that hot Santa suit for 4 hours, and being so great with the dogs, and Santa's other Little Helpers Kevin, Danielle, and Kari for really getting some great looks from the pooches for their pictures.

I would also like to thank Lou, and Nina for their tireless help with setup and take down of all the stuff we had to bring in to make this all work so flawlessly.....

Thank you EVERYONE for a great time!!!!!

Chuck

December Happenings with FIDO

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to get everyone up to speed with the current happenings with FIDO and the South Euclid Dog Park.

The lights are now working after dark. It lights things up pretty well, but it is still a good idea to have a flashlight handy.

The water line is in!!!!! The water is turned off for the winter, but we will have water at the dog park in spring.

FIDO is well on it's way to achieve our goal of getting the ground cover for the dog park. We are just a few thousand away. So far we have raised over 8 Thousand Dollars!!! Our events and fundraising committees have been doing a terrific job. Keep up the great work!!!!

Be sure to check out Holiday Photos with FIDO and Phoenix on Sunday, December 16th 2007, at the Phoenix Coffee House. Their address is 4441 Mayfield Rd. South Euclid, Ohio 44121.
The event starts at 11:00 am and runs until 5:00 pm. Santa will be there from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm. For $10.00 you will receive 2 pictures and the file on CD.

Be sure to check out FIDO's auctions on the forums web site too. All proceeds go to the dog park groundcover fund. Bid early and bid often.

Also be sure to check out FIDO's Cafe Press site for some great Christmas gift ideas for the dog lover in your life.

That is about it for now.....

See you at the dog park........

Chuck

Thank You

A great big thank you to everyone who helped make the FIDO Howl 0 Ween party a rousing success. We raised over $1000.00 and we are slowly but surely reaching our goal of ground cover for the dog park. Thank you to all the members of the FIDO events and fundraising committees for a job VERY WELL DONE!!!

Chuck

FIDO Quarterly General Meeting Minutes

South Euclid FIDO Quarterly Meeting
Oct. 09, 2007
Held at: The Community Center Rm. A

Board member Attendees: Carolyn Wadatz, Jean Durant, Denise Hatala Lewis, Danielle Merriman, Kevin Wachs and Laura & Chuck Berk

The meeting was called to order by the President at 7:07 p.m.

The President had all of the board members get up and introduce themselves to those in attendance.

The president then called for the Secretary to read the minutes of the last quarterly meeting in July.

Treasurers Report: Kevin reported that Fido had a total amount of $8,229.00. Fido owes the city of South Euclid a total of $824.11 for the last mailing fundraiser. It gives us a total of $7,404.89 in our Fido account.

Elections: The Elections for the officers of the board were held at the meeting, and results from the Electoral Committee’s chairman Cynthia Hale are as follows: We had 40 votes out of a total of 57 members, which equals a 70.2% voter turnout.

For President, Chuck Berk ran unopposed and received 38 votes (95%) of the vote.

For Vice President Jenn Bartlett ran unopposed and received 37 votes (92.5%) of the vote.

For Secretary Laura Berk ran unopposed and received 37 votes (92.5%) of the vote.

For Treasurer we had 2 people running for the position. Judy Henderson received 32 votes (80%) of the vote. Carolyn Wadatz received 7 votes (17.5%) of the vote, making Judy the new treasurer for FIDO.

Congratulations to all.

Thanks to all who participated and voted.

President’s Report: Chuck reported that he had tried to get an update on the water/lights/dog park rules sign. He was unable to get a hold of Ed Gallagher of the S.E. maintenance dept in time to make the meeting. He will keep everyone informed as he receives the information from the city.

Creation of new committees: Ken Roehl and Philip Wolpe have been approached about the new committee, and have accepted the positions of members of the Maintenance Committee: Ken said that the first job will be to fix a couple of spots in the fence that need mending. Thank you to both of you for accepting the job.

Communications Committee: Denny Hatala, Jean Durant, Laura Malto and a brand new active member Ashlee Brand. Thanks to all of you for your tireless efforts. In addition to serving in the
Communications Committee Ashlee has graciously volunteered to create an electronic newsletter to be e-mailed to all members of FIDO and to be posted on the website. Welcome aboard Ashlee!!

Jean Durant’s report:

The coyote roller will cost approximately $4,936.00, which does not include the cost of labor. This cost is prohibitive for the benefits we would receive.

Magnetic latches for the dog park Jean researched the latches and found that the latch would cost around $800.00 to install and that it wouldn’t work with the current gate configuration.

Enlarging the park, Jean has been asking people at the park if they think we need to enlarge the park. The general consensus is that everyone likes the park the way it is. Any bigger and people might not be able to keep an eye on their dog or dogs.

The artificial turf ground cover - Jean brought and passed around a swatch of artificial turf from a manufacturer of dog park artificial ground cover. She found that it was very expensive and the ground cover we had already chosen was much better and less expensive. Thanks Jean for all of your hard work on the research.

Kiosk posting rules: Danielle Merriman will be creating and laminating a sign to put up on the kiosk. The agreed upon rules are:

1. Postings over 1 wk old will be removed.
2. No staples or tacks. Tape ONLY
3. No advertising.
4. Fido reserves the right to remove any posting.

Events/Fund raising: Howl-o-Ween Event to be held on Saturday, Oct. 27th. It will begin at noon and end by 3:00 p.m. Judy, Jean, Ashlee and Cat are all selling a lot of raffle tickets for the event, a big THANK YOU for all the hard work.

For anyone wishing to buy raffle tickets, they are 1 ticket for $1.00 and 6 tickets for $5.00.

Marianne Reeves has been in contact with the new PetSmart in Golden Gate and was finding out if we could do a Santa paws photo event with our dogs. The corporate offices of PetSmart only do business with humane societies and animal rescues, so we turned over the research she had done to the S.E. Humane Society so that they might pursue this opportunity. We are still pursuing a Santa Paws event with our own photographer and Santa to take holiday photos of our pups. Good job and good thinking Marianne.

Mayor Welo stopped by to compliment FIDO for reenergizing the neighborhood, and to also let us know about the new website for the city of South Euclid, FIDO will have our own webpage.

Thank you Mayor Welo, it was great news.

A motion was made to end the meeting, which was overwhelmingly seconded.

The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.

What's Happening at the Dog Park!!

Hi fellow dog park users,

Here is a quick update on what FIDO has been up to at the South Euclid Dog Park lately:

1. The Bricks have been installed in the area between the entry gates, along with a concrete pad to help keep the mud off those little paws. It is a little dusty up there now since there has not been enough rain to let the bricks settle in, but with a little rain it will clean up nicely. Come and see your brick if you purchased one, and see what the other patrons have written on their bricks. If you have not purchased yours yet, There is still time, they are always on sale. We have already placed our 2nd brick order which will be shipping in the next few weeks. We are also going to be adding some more bricks along the top edge of the concrete pad, and also around the water concrete pad when it has been poured.

2. We will be having the water line run in the next few weeks I have been told. The city needs to rent a trencher to dig the run for the water pipe and they will be doing this along with another project they are working on.

3. The city is working with CEI on having the 2 lights that point to the dog park fixed so that they will stay on for a longer period of time. I am waiting for an eta from the city on when this will be repaired.

4. Don't forget that the FIDO general meeting is on Tuesday, October 9th at 7:00 pm at the South Euclid Community Center. FIDO members will be able to vote for president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.

5. Please buy a raffle ticket. FIDO members are selling raffle tickets for our Howl-0ween bash. They cost $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00 There are wonderful baskets created just for this raffle. One from Trader Joe's and a beautiful basket for your four legged best friend. The Howl-oween party will be on Saturday, October 27th from noon to 3:00pm. South Euclid's K9 officers, either Rex or Recon will be doing a demonstration for us, and there will be lots of activities and prizes for you and your best friend.

That's it for now, Stay tuned for more exciting news....

Chuck

Work in progress at the dog park

Hi everyone,

I was at the dog park today and the city is not finished with their work yet. They poured the concrete between the double gates today and it is still not dry yet. From the looks of the ground I do not think the water has been run yet either.

Please do not go into the park until the city has finished their work. The city put up yellow caution tape across the gate, but it is partially open since they had to take part of the fencing down.

Several people have tried to go into the park and we would like the concrete to get dry before people try to walk on it. Also part of the fencing is down so dogs may escape if they are let loose in the park.

I will be contacting the city tomorrow to find out what the status of the work will be.


Thanks

Chuck

South Euclid Dog Park Construction

Monday, September 10th, 2007

Hi Everyone,

I stopped up at the dog park to see how the new pads and water are coming along. The entrance has been dug up and the wood concrete pad forms are in. The water has not been put in yet or the pad where the water is supposed to be. The gates are all padlocked and the first of the double gates has been removed and yellow caution tape is across the entrance.

I will keep everyone informed on what is happening.

ps

A bunch of us will be at the Bratenahl dog park on Tuesday, September 11th at about 7:00 pm. The girls are already starting to drive us crazy since they have not been to the dog park since saturday......

Fixing one hour time discrepancy on Forums Board

Hi Everyone,

I have been receiving questions from some people that the time on the forums seems to be off by an hour. I have noticed this too, and I just wanted to share how I fixed mine.

To fix the time discrepancy:

1. Using your user id and password, log onto the forums
2. Click on My Controls on the upper right side of the forums window
3. From the options on the left side of the screen, click on board settings
4. It will bring up a screen with all kinds of settings to change
5. In the Time Zone box on the upper right side of the window, check Auto correct DST?
6. Make sure the time zone is set to GMT - 5:00 hours Eastern Time (US & Canada) Bogotá, Lima as shown in the picture below


7. Then click the button Save my account options at the bottom of the page to save the settings

That's all there is to it. Enjoy the Forums.

See you at the Dog Park,

Fido General Meeting Minutes 7/24/07

South Euclid F.I.D.O. Dog Park Meeting

Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

FIDO Membership list of attendees: Jennifer Bartlett, Chuck & Laura Berk, Amy Biro, Freddie Conwell, Jean Durant, Cynthia Hale, Denise Hatala, Judy Henderson, Merrill Henkin, Danielle Merriman, Kari-Ellen Organiscak, Marianne Reeves, Aspasia Sicking,Kevin Wachs, Carolyn Wadatz.

Welcome to our new members: Marsha Ungar, Henry Ungar and Oscar Saks

FIDO Supporting Member list of attendees: Hanne Jonikall (I hope I spelled it right Hanne), Ken Roehl, Norah Joseph and Philip Wolpe, (Please excuse me if I left anyone out).

Meeting started at 7:05 p.m.

Chuck began the meeting by thanking everyone for showing up to the meeting. And we quickly introduced the interim board members to the attendees.

1. Secretary’s Minutes: The secretary read the minutes from the last meeting of May, 22^nd.

2. Treasurers Report: Numbers from the Treasurers' Report of 7/24 (all numbers correct as of 7/23):

Revenue

From membership dues = $500.00
From Dog Walk Event = $437.00
From Brick campaign = $5,885.00
Total revenue = $6,822.00

Expenditures

From postage for first mailing = $942.21
From postage for thank you notes = $24.60
From purchase of bricks = $1,058.50

Total expenditure = $2025.31

Net gain = $4,796.69

Estimated expected cost of postage for second mailing (3800 pieces at .277) = $1052.60. Savings by using 5-digit presorted bulk over first class $505.40.

3. Report from the Board: Danielle and Amy were nominated for interim Vice President. And Danielle was elected by a vote of 12 to 1. Congratulations Danielle for being elected to Fido’s interim Vice President. Jean and Denny were appointed by the board to be Board Members at-large. Congratulations to them also.

4. Proposed revisions to the bylaws: For the replacement of website and e-mail addresses. Change to the bylaws was voted on and amended by a vote of 12 to 0.

5. Events and Fundraising report: The next event and fundraiser is the South Euclid Fun Days. Slated to start this Saturday, July 28^th, from noon till after the fireworks. Sunday, July 29^th, from noon till 6:00 p.m. FIDO will have a booth at the Fun Days. We will be displaying some of the Café Press items that people can view and order online. Also, there will be brick fundraiser forms and membership forms available. Also, Jen who is a Vet-Tech will be at the booth various times on both days to answer any pet related questions.

6. Kiosk Update: Chuck reported that the kiosk should be completed in approximately 2 weeks. Chuck also talked to Ed Gallagher (the Maintenance Director of South Euclid) and he reported that the water to the dog park will be installed in approximately 2 weeks. The Contractor had been hired and it is a matter of scheduling. Also, he reported that the 2 lights will be repaired in approximately 4 to 6 weeks. CEI has been contacted to do the repairs.

7. New Business: The Electoral Committee was formed and will be taking nominations for the upcoming October elections. The Electoral Committee consists of following members: The Secretary (Laura Berk), Marianne Reeves, Jen Bartlett and Cynthia Hale. We will be accepting nominations for Board Member positions for President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The nominations must be made in writing by delivery to a electoral committee member or via email to any of the electoral committee members email accounts, by August 21^st. Any active member may make a nomination, and the nominee must be an active FIDO member in good standing and willing to serve.

8.Open Discussion: These are points brought up during the open discussion period.

• Enlarging Dog Park downhill.
• Coyote roller for on top of the fence for escaping dogs that like to jump fences.
• Can we fix the double gate to keep small dogs in?
• Signs that say Do not open both gates at the same time.
• Get paper recycling bin for paper, newspaper and magazines. To provide income for FIDO. Maybe even a plastics recycling bin.
• Apply for grants to pay for park improvements.

The Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

These minutes are respectfully recorded and submitted by the FIDO interim secretary Laura Berk.

Dog Park Ground Cover Contractors

Hi everyone,

Jean asked me to post this info on the contractor quotations that we have received so far concerning the ground cover at the dog park. The question was asked at the general meeting as to the status of the ground cover.

Please keep in mind that these are not decisions and only Jean's opinion of the different contractors to this point.

Monachino is my first choice. ($9,800.00) He’s done a lot of work for local contractors and I’ve never heard anything but good about him. He is a dog owner and seemed to have a genuine interest in the project. He spent almost two hours testing the dirt, discussing the project with me, and asked the most (and most intelligent) questions of any of the contractors. Also his bid reads that if more gravel is needed than was stated in the bid it would be at no extra cost to us for the gravel or the labor.

Cooley is my second choice. ($10,115.75) He also showed a genuine interest in the project and said that he would work with us (some) with the bid price. He seemed to be competent and knowledgeable, but I don’t know anyone who has used his company.

Chagrin Enterprises is my third choice. ($15,850.00) His company has a good reputation but it’s a subcontract company and his price is way high. Usually subcontract companies have to give a portion of their profit to the main company.

SEVCO is my fourth choice. ($10,900.00) Sevco is the main company, but the work would be done by an independent contractor. The bidder (who would be the actual contractor) was very nice but didn’t seem to have much experience with this type of project.

We will keep everyone in the loop as the project goes along.

Dog Park Waste

Several people have been telling me about dog droppings left in the park that have not been picked up and what we should do about them. We do have some very dedicated park patrons who graciously patrol the park every morning picking up the droppings from the previous day, and I definitely thank them for their hard work and diligence.

It is up to the individual dog owners to pick up after their dogs and remove the waste they make. We do have signs that were generously donated put up in the park to remind people to keep an eye on their dogs and pick up after them.

The main purpose of FIDO is as a fund raising organization, and not for the purpose of maintenance of the dog park on a daily basis. FIDO can help to organize people for fund raising, obtaining a kiosk, ground cover, and water, but FIDO has NO power over the day to day activities or rule enforcement at the dog park. It is up to the individual dog owners to control their dogs, pick up the waste and keep the park clean.

The rules on the dog park sign are based on the rules at other dog parks around the country, and must be reviewed by the city of South Euclid Law director prior to posting at the dog park.

Please help keep our dog park a clean and healthy place to have fun.

See you all at the dog park

Revised General Meeting Agenda

Hi Everyone, I have made some changes to the agenda for the July 24th 2007 General meeting. Here is an updated version. Please keep in mind that this may be subject to change prior to the meeting.

See you at the Dog Park...

FIDO South Euclid Dog Park Committee

General Meeting Agenda
South Euclid Community Center
Tuesday, July 24th, 2007 7:00 pm


1. Call to Order

2. Secretary Report and minutes of last general meeting - Laura

3. Treasurers Report – Kevin / Cat

4. Report from the Board

a. Appointments to the board
b. Proposed revisions to the bylaws

5. Committee reports

a. Fundraising - Kevin
b. Events - Kevin
c. communications - Laura Malto
d. Maintenance ?
e. Kiosk update

6. 0ld business if there is any - ?

7. New business
a. nominations and Interim Vice President (re-vote for at large members)
b. Creation of Electoral committee
c. Nominations for permanent committee members for next general election (yearly) in October

8. Open discussion

9. Adjourn meeting

Welcome To The New South Euclid FIDO Website

Hello and welcome to The FIDO Committee's New Website at www.SouthEuclidFIDO.org. First of all, I would like to thank all volunteers and donors, past and present, for their tireless work and support of FIDO. Without their help there would be no dog park.


FIDO, which stands for Friends of the Ideal Dog Park, Off-Leash was created in mid 2004 by South Euclid Councilwoman Sunny Simon and a small group of citizens dedicated to creating a place in our community for dog owners to exercise, socialize their dogs, and promote responsible dog ownership. It is also a great place to meet your neighbors and make new friends.


My wife Laura and I have been associated with FIDO since its inception, and we are very excited about the direction that the committee and dog park have taken, and the bright future ahead.


In this blog I will be posting meeting agendas, meeting minutes or anything else that would be of interest to all the dog park patrons.


I hope you enjoy our new web site and I hope you will consider joining FIDO or making a donation.


See you at the Dog Park,


Chuck, Laura, Lucy, and Tillie